You started it all! You gave
me the confidence to believe in my writing and now I'm slowly gaining more and
more success. Excited to report I just heard I won the grand prize in the
2015 John Kenneth Galbraith Literary Award contest, one I know you've judged
and also recommended to your students.

The winner
of the Galbraith Award takes home a $2,000 prize. For information about this
contest, see here.

Hi, Brian.

I recently published Tricksy Critters: A Halloween Picture Book.

Regards,

Michellede
Villiers

Tricksy Crittersis available for the
excellent price of absolutely free. Check out Tricksy Critters and Michelle’s other two books on Amazon, here.

Hi,

This seems to be my week
for painful stories. Here is one (disturbing – but free!) that just landed on
the Psychology Tomorrowsite. Brian, you read it last winter, but it will be new to the rest
of you.

I’ve just launched a
Kickstarter campaign that is trying to spread happiness (and feeling in
general) through letter-writing. Using creative writing, I believe we can
reconnect people in our disconnected digital world. We can empower people to
feel.

I think this relates to
your writing blog, and I would greatly appreciate if you would give me a
shoutout or write something about my project! The more people that join
in, the more people who feel. The motive is purely social — otherwise I
would definitely charge more than $2 Canadian per letter.

Outlook
Springs magazine accepts short stories, essays and poetry. Pays $25 U.S.
for short stories and nonfiction and $10 U.S. per poem.

Submissions period runs Sept 15 through June 15. Full submission
guidelines here.

Brain Mill Press is currently seeking full-length LGBTQ+
submissions across all genres and the full spectrum of sexualities and
identities. We’re looking for books written with passion and conviction that
speak to a diverse readership, because we believe that everyone deserves to
tell their story and everyone deserves to have their story told.

While we’ll consider any submission that
centralizes queer characters and queer experience, we are especially interested
in the following broad categories:

All the Colors of the Rainbow: We’d love to see
stories of any kind that feature the less-represented queer identities,
particularly women of any sexuality, trans* people, non-binary people, the
aro/ace spectrum, and bisexuals. And, of course, anyone you feel should have
been included in that list.

Post Queer: Stories of any genre that just happen
to have queer protagonists. Because you don’t have to be a heterosexual white
man to solve a crime, slay a dragon, save the galaxy or be bodyguard to the
President.

Hellum and Neal Series editor Alexis Hall will
select books for digital and print publication in the series. Submit complete
manuscripts of 45,000-100,000+ words. Books
in this series will be offered a contract for publication and royalties, and
will be professionally edited and produced. The ebook and trade print will be
internationally distributed. All published books will be promoted by the press,
submitted for industry review, and chosen and promoted by the series editor.

Horrified
Press seeks short stories for several anthologies/ For example: 3,000 –
5,000 word stories for The King of the Living Dead. No
advance, just royalties.

Deadline: As
soon as they have enough stories they like. Submission guidelines here.

Postcard
Shorts has several hundred diverse and diverting short stories, for you
to read, share and enjoy. Theinspirationfor this site comes from a challenge
made by George Hay, a science fiction magazine editor in the 1970s, to Arthur
C. Clarke (and others). The challenge was to write a short story to put on a
postcard. One result was Arthur C. Clarke's story "Quarantine", which
you can readhere.

Postcard Shorts is looking fororiginal material, about 250 words or
so – as much as you could more or less fit on a postcard. Postcard shorts is
open to all genres offlash fiction.

Submission guidelines here.Note: Don't ever miss a post on Quick Brown Fox. Fill in
your email in the box to the right under my bio, and get each post delivered to
your Inbox. ~ Brian

Give yourself three days of writing
time.Three days of instruction, inspiration and
creativity. Award yourself with time away from distractions, with no dishes to
do and wonderful food at every meal, as you sit with your feet up and
write in the most beautiful wilderness setting in Ontario. This is where the
Group of Seven got its inspiration (Tom Thompson is buried just a couple of
lakes over); it’s a wonderful place for you to find your inspiration, too.

The retreat will feature both
instruction and guided writing exercises, plus one-on-one critiquing and
coaching from Brian. You’ll also have lots of time to relax, rejuvenate,
and reconnect with your creativity.

All writing levels welcome. Whether you are just beginning or have a
novel in progress, please join us.

The setting:Arowhon
Pinesis a peaceful, quiet resort
nestled in the woods on Little Joe Lake inside Algonquin Park. There are no
motorboats on the lake, except for the resort’s own pontoon boat which takes
guests on occasional wildlife tours.

The resort is
without TV and is far from the roar of traffic. The cry of a loon is the
loudest noise you’re likely to hear all day.

Rates include charming accommodation(cabins have a mix of queen
beds for one person or couples or twin beds for two people rooming together;
rooms also have private bathrooms and each cabin has a lounge with fireplace to
share with your fellow writers).

Three all-you-can-eat gourmetmealsper day are provided,
featuring an abundance of fresh food prepared by master chefs and an inspired
kitchen staff. (Bring your own wine or beer!)

All activities included. When you’re not writing or
for spouses who accompany you, there is plenty to do: canoe or kayak a series
of lakes or hike trails to see wildlife (moose, loons, beaver, turtles, fox,
deer), swim in the lake, sail, stand up paddleboard, play tennis, relax. For
indoor activities there is a games room with table tennis, shuffleboard, books,
board games. Your stay also includes access to all Algonquin Park programs and
activities including a car pass for you to fully enjoy the park.

Check-in isn’t until 3 p.m., but guests can arrive in the morning to
fully take advantage of the facilities (though the meals included in your
package don’t begin until after check-in time, so lunch on Friday is extra if
you arrive early). Each guest will get a day pass for Algonquin Park. The
formal retreat will begin late Friday afternoon. On Sunday morning, we’ll have
our last formal get-together ending at 12 noon. Check out time is at 1
p.m. Most guests have lunch while the bellhops load the car. But once
you’ve had lunch, don’t feel you have to rush off!

Participants are welcome to bring spouses, partners or friends, as there
will be plenty to do while you’re writing – canoeing, kayaking or sailing,
swimming if warm enough, tennis, reading and just plain resting and unwinding,
enjoying the wilderness.
Read more about Arowhon Pineshere.

Instructor Brian Henry has
been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He
publishesQuick Brown Fox, Canada’s most popular blog for
writers, teaches creative writing at Ryerson University and has led workshops
everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Saint John. But his
proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get their first
book published and launch their careers as authors.

Read two reviews of our fall writing retreat at Arowhon Pines, see here.
To see more reviews of
Brian’s weekly courses and Saturday workshops, just scroll down the page.

Accommodation fee:440 per person either single-
or double- occupancy for the two nights (that’s $100 off the regular price for
double-occupancy; $276 off the regular single-occupancy price). Plus 15%
service charge (in lieu of tipping, no extra tipping allowed), then 13% hst added
to these rates.

Note: Don't ever miss a post on
Quick Brown Fox. Fill in your email in the box to the right under my bio, and
get each post delivered to your Inbox. ~
Brian

Who can attend the retreat?

Everyone interested in developing
their writing skills is welcome to attend, whether you're aspiring writer or an
accomplished author or simply enjoy writing as a hobby. There is no
requirement for you to have been previously published or even to have an
intention to publish.

I'm a poet / playwright / other
writer. Is this retreat for me?

The retreat is open to anyone who
enjoys writing. Instruction will focus on narrative writing; i.e., stories,
whether fiction or memoir. But if you’re an essayist or poet or whatever,
you’re entirely welcome.

Should I bring my work in progress?

Yes, if you have an on-going writing
project, bring it with you! If you’re not currently working on anything, don’t
worry, we’ll get you writing.
Should I bring my laptop?

Yes, if you prefer to work on your
laptop. During the day, we’ll have use of tables by power outlets in the dining
room for writing. If you prefer to work on paper bring that.

Can you cater to specific dietary
requirements?

Yes, just let the staff at Arowhon
Pines know about your needs.

I want to stay longer or arrive
early. Is it possible to do that?

If you want to arrive early and stay
longer, that is fine. Just arrange it with the resort. There is plenty to see
and do in the park, and Arowhon Pines is a lovely place to base from.

Can I bring my spouse (or partner or
friend)?

Certainly. Just let them know you’ll
be spending most of your time writing, (though you will have some free time
every day), and make sure they enjoy superb food, the beauty of the fall woods,
and relaxing on the deck or the dock or out on a canoe as they glide past a
moose munching on water lilies….

Mary
Southis the newest member of the team and like all
new agents, she needs authors. Besides being a literary agent, Mary is also the
digital marketing manager and foreign rights liaison. She is also a senior
editor atNOON.
Previously, she worked for Random House, Google,The New Yorker, and
McGraw-Hill. She has an MFA in fiction from Columbia University and a B.A. in
literature, with honors, from Northwestern University.

Mary is
interested in receiving queries for literary fiction with a compelling voice,
an exquisite use of form, and the utmost attention paid to the beauty of the
sentence. She also has an interest in nonfiction on subjects such as
neuroscience, bioengineering, women's rights, design, and digital humanities,
as well as investigative journalism, essays, and memoir.

Put the word QUERY and the title of your project in the subject field of
your email and address it to the agent of your choice.For fiction, include the first ten
pages; for nonfiction, please include a table of contents and, if available, a
proposal pasted into the body of the email. No attachments.

But
the best way to grow as a writer or to get your manuscript ready for
publication may be with a weekly class. Starting in the new year, Brian
will be offering a full range of courses for both beginning writers and more
experienced writers. (Details of all five classes here.)

Fee:34.51 + hst =39 in advance or 37.17 + hst = 42if
you wait to pay at the door

Accessible to beginnersand meaty enough for
experienced writers, this workshop will show you how to use dialogue to
make your stories more dynamic and dramatic. Whether you’re writing fiction or memoir, you need
to be able to write great dialogue and need to know how to mix your dialogue
and narrative so that your characters come alive. Come to this workshop
and learn both the basics and the best tricks of the trade so that you'll never
write a lifeless scene again.

This workshop will show you how
writers plot a novel and
will give you the best tips on writing short stories. We’ll also look at where
to get your stories published and how to win contests. Best yet, you’ll see how
to apply the story-building techniques you’ve learned to your own writing

Fee (including lunch): 56 paid
in advance or 59 if
you wait to pay at the door.

Let's get motivated! This workshop is designed to help you find
the time and the inspiration to write. No more staring at a blank screen. Come
to this workshop and learn the five keys to beating procrastination. Then give
yourself a kick-start and discover how to keep going. This creativity workout
will get your words flowing and help you make the breakthrough into the next
level of writing.

Workshop
leader Brian Henryhas been a book
editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He
publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada’s most popular blog for
writers, teaches creative writing at Ryerson University and has led workshops
everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Saint John. But his
proudest boast is that he has
helped many of his students get their first book published and launch their
careers as authors.

“Brian’s the real deal. He isn't just an inspiring teacher – he's
plugged into the publishing world! He got me an agent who sold my first novel,
to publishers around the world. My 13th novel,The Awakening,hit number 1 on theNew
York Timesbestsellers list. To date I’ve published 28 books,
and thirteen of them have been turned into a TV show with the same name as my
first novel,Bitten.”

~ Kelley Armstrong,Aylmer, Ontario

Note: Don't ever miss a post on Quick Brown Fox. Fill in your email
in the box to the right under my bio, and get each post delivered to your
Inbox. ~ Brian

Brian Henry has been a book editor, writer, and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He teaches creative writing at Ryerson University. He also leads weekly creative writing courses in Burlington, Mississauga, Oakville and Georgetown and conducts Saturday workshops throughout Ontario. His proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published.